chilli fried rice

If you have leftover rice in the refrigerator, you have the beginnings of a one-dish meal. Start at the second step of this recipe. If you don’t have any rice ready, you will need the first paragraph of the recipe.

Serves 4

2 cups rice

750ml cold water

3 tablespoons Charmaine Solomon’s Thai Red Curry Paste

100g pork, finely diced or minced

250g small raw prawns, or 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked for 15 minutes and drained

2 eggs beaten

salt and pepper

1 tablespoons fish sauce

1 cup chopped spring onions

1 red chilli, sliced

1 green chilli, sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

Wash and drain the rice well. Bring the rice and water to the boil in a heavy saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Turn the heat to very low and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for a further 10 minutes. Turn the rice onto a large baking tray and leave to cool a further 10 minutes. You should now have 4 cups cold rice.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the curry paste on medium heat, stirring for 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry until cooked. If your prawns are large, cut them in half and add to the wok, frying for a few minutes until they are cooked. Add dried shrimp if using.

Add the rice, toss and mix until the grains are coated with the spice mixture and heated through. Push the rice to the edge of the wok, leaving a space in the centre, and pour in the beaten eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Stir until they start to set. Mix into the rice and toss over high heat until the eggs are cooked.

Sprinkle with fish sauce, scatter spring onions and chillies over and toss for a further minute. Serve garnished with fresh coriander.